how to judge your day
“Not every day can be a koala-holding day.”
We were in Brisbane, Australia. The day before, we visited a koala sanctuary and had a wonderful day seeing dozens of koalas, plus lots of other animals.
The absolute highlight of the day was getting to briefly hold a koala. You stand on a designated spot and hold your hands out, then a keeper puts a koala on your hands. Koalas are clingers, so they will naturally cuddle up next to you. They are surprisingly dense and much heavier than they look.
This was a major highlight of our trip and we had been anticipating it for weeks. We scheduled part of our vacation around this one excursion. Even though everyone was jet lagged AF on the big day, everyone got up early and eagerly in order to be out the door on time.
The next day, we were NOT looking at koalas or holding them. We were exploring Brisbane, which is a lovely city and worth a visit in its own right, even without its proximity to koalas that can be cuddled. Still, everyone was feeling a bit flat and some people were not very enthusiastic about exploring the city on foot.
Finally, my husband said something like, “Look, not every day can be a koala-holding day. Let’s just enjoy today for what it is.”
Not every day can be a koala-holding day.
At that moment, a new family motto was born. As with life, travel has its highs and lows. Some days are fast-paced and some days are slow. Some days have incredible highs, while other days are more normal. Life is imperfect. Just take each day as it is.
Yesterday you went to an amazing party, but today you dropped a full bag of rotting compost on the kitchen floor and have to clean it up.
Yesterday, you turned 50 in Botswana and were surprised with a party, but today you are standing in an endless border control line trying to enter Zimbabwe.
Yesterday you ate the best meal of your life, but today you had a plain sandwich for lunch.
It’s natural to feel a bit let down after such an amazing day, but just recognize how special that day was, revel in the memories, and don’t expect every day to be equally special.
Even now, if I’m feeling a bit flat after an especially good day, I remind myself:
Not every day can be a koala-holding day.
Not everyday can be a koala holding day! Brilliant.